Pumping means



Feb. 19, 1963 1. OVRUTSKY PUMPING MEANS Filed Aug. 3, 1959 INVENTORS Irving Ovrufsky. BY

ATTORNEY United tates Patent Ofilice 3,078,033 PUMPENG MEANS Irving Ovrutslry, 31-12 77th St Iackson Heights, NY. Filed Aug. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 831,275 8 Claims. (Cl. 230-40) This invention relates to changing the level of fluid in a vessel and more particularly to pumping means for transferring fluids between a reservoir and a vessel.

Although it is well known to employ pumps to, transfer fluids between a reservoir and a vessel, there are certain liquidswhich because of their highly corrosive nature are very destructive to the working parts of the pump through which the fluid must flow. Heretofore, special pumps have been made of corrosive resistant parts to handle such liquids. However, such pumps are extremely expensive and are therefore not economically feasible in many applications. One such important application is for transferring the photo-solution of a photo-copy machine from a sealed container into an open tray when the solution is to be used, and for transferring the solution back from the open tray or vessel into the sealed container, when the solution is not in use, in order to preserve the solution.

It is accordingly a general object of the invention to provide. improved apparatus for moving fluids between different vessels.

It is another object of the invention to provide appa-. ratus for handling corrosive fluids.

It is a further object to. provide apparatus including a pump for moving a. fluid between a reservoir and a sealed vessel in which the fluid never comes in contact with the pump.

Briefly, in accordance with an embodiment of the inven-. tion apparatus is provided for changing the level of fluid in a. vessel. The apparatus includes a. sealed reservoir and a conduit connecting the vessel to the sealed. reservoir. A pump which can create either pressure or suction is connected via a second conduit to the sealed reservoir.

A feature of the invention is a pump which comprises a. cylinder having an open and a closed end. with a port disposed in the cylinder remote from the open end. and means disposed near the open end for reciprocatingly driving a piston in the cylinder. The piston when moving in a first direction is substantially perpendicular to the major axis of the cylinder and when moving in thev op.- posite direction isoblique to the axis.

In further embodiments of this feature it is possible to change the orientation of the cylinder with respect to the piston so that the piston is oblique to the major axis when moving in the first direction and. perpendicular in the opposite direction.

It should be noted that if the piston is perpendicular to the cylinders major axis on the instroke then; the pump can be used to apply pressure, while if it is perpendicular on the outstroke it can be used to apply suction. When the piston is perpendicular to the major axis of the cylinder there is a seal between the open end of the cylinder and the chamber defined by the-piston and the closed end of the cylinder, whereas whenthepiston is oblique to the cylinders major axis this seal is broken.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention; will be apparent from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a system, partially in schematic form, for moving a fluid between a vessel and a reservoir through the agency of a pump shown in elevation, in ac-. cordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGURES 2 to 5 shows the pertinent elements of the pump of FIGURE 1 during difierent phases of a pressure cycle; and

Patented Feb. 19, 1963,

FIGURES 6' to 9 show the same pertinent. elements of the pump of FIGURE 1 during different phases of a suction cycle. Referring to FIGURE 1 a system is shown for changing the level of liquid in a vessel 20 which is connected via conduit 22 to sealed reservoir 24'; The liquid is moved through the agency of bidirectional pump 26 and unidirectional or check valves 28 and 30. In particular, the port 32 of bidirectional pump 26. is coupled via conduit 34 to one side of each of the check valves 28 and 30 whose other sides are connected via conduit 36'to sealed reservoir 24. It should be noted that the check valves 23 and 30 are biased to operate in opposite directions. Those two check valves are conventional, and are adjusted to operate on predetermined pressure differentials across the valve.

During operation, when the bidirectional pump 26 is applying suction, a vacuumis created in sealed reservoir 24- by virtue of air being exhausted via conduit 36, check valve 28 and conduit 3 to port 32. As the vacuum is created, liquid moves from the vessel 20 via the; conduit 22 to the sealed reservoir 24. On the other hand, When the bidirectional. pump 26 is applying pressure, the pres,- sure is transmitted via port 32, conduitfid, check valve 30 and conduit 36 to the liquid in the sealed reservoir 24. The pressure causes the liquid to flow from the sealed reservoir 24 via the conduit 22 to the vessel Zil. Thus, the liquid only flows. between the vessel 2i} and the sealed reservoir 24 and never comes in contact with the bidirectional pump 26.

The bidirectional pump 26' includes. a frame 38 sup; porting a motor 40, an eccentric drive means 412, and a cylinder 44. The windings of motor 40 areconnectedto a voltage source 46. The shaft 48 of motor 40. is coupled, via belt 50 to pulley 52 which is fixed on shaft 54 of ec-.

centric drive means 42. A wheel 5 6 on shaft 54 hasv a.

pivotalv coupling 58 with a rod 6 0 extending through the open end 61 of cylinder 44 to rigidly connect with piston 62, which is slidably movable. The pivotal coupling 58 on eccentric drive means 42' traces out a circle in a plane, that is parallel to the major axis 73 of'cylinder 44. By virtue of this circular path, rod 60 coupled to pivotable coupling 58 imparts reciprocating motion of the piston 62,

Extending from frame 38 is a pivotal connection 66. to the outer wall of cylinder 44 near the closed end 6 4, An arm 68 extending from pivotal connection 6 6. contacts spring loaded ball bearing 70 supported by frame 318. Pivotal connection 66 permits cylinder 4 4 to rotate in an arc having a center of rotation along a line that includes a diameter of the cylinder 44, The extremesof the arcuate movement are restricted by the geometry of the piston 62, the rod 60, the diameter of the cylinder 44 and the location of the pivotal coupling 58 on the wheel 56. The are is preferably bisected by the line 72 drawn be; tween the shaft 54' (the axis of rotation of eccentric drive means 42) and the pivotal connection 66 (the axis of rotation of cylinder 44). Arm 68 and spring loaded ball bearing 70 are oriented so that when arm 68 lies on one side of ball bearing 70 the major axis 73 of cylinder 44 is on one side of line '72 as in FIGURES 2 to 5:; and when arm 68 is on the other side of ball bearing 70 the major axis 73 is on the other side of line 72 as in FIGURES 6' to 9 The coaction of arm 68 and ball bearing 70 lock cylinder 44 in either one of these two positions.

The significance of the orientation of the major axis 73" of the cylinder 44 with respect to the line 72 will" now be described. In general, when major axis 73 is below the line 72- as in FIGURES l to 5 and eccentric drive means 42 is rotating in a counter clockwise direction, bidirectional pump 26 acts as a pressure pump. As is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, during the instroke, piston 62 is sub stantially perpendicular to the major axis 73 of cylinder 44 and a seal is maintained between the region 74 and the open end 61. Therefore, pressure is transmitted via port 32.. However, during the outstroke (FIGURES 4 and 5) the piston 62 is oblique to the major axis 73 of the cylinder 44 and the seal between the region 74 and the open end 61 is broken. Therefore, no suction action is present.

On the other hand, when the major axis 73 of the cylinder 44 lies above the line 72 and the eccentric drive means 42 is rotating counterclockwise, bidirectional pump 26 creates a suction. During the instroke, as is shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, piston 62 is oblique to the major axis 73 of the cylinder 44 and there is no seal between the region 74 and the open end 61. However, during the outstroke (FIGURES 8 and 9), the piston 62 is substantially perpendicular to the major axis 73 and an air tight seal is maintained between the region 74 and the open end 61. Accordingly, a suction is created which is transmitted via port 32. Therefore, it is only necessary to rotate the eccentric drive means 42 in one direction and to position the major axis 73 on different sides of the line 72 to obtain either pressure or suction.

In this embodiment of the invention it is not necessary to have a bidirectional motor or reversible voltage source. However, when a bidirectional motor is available with a reversible voltage source it is only necessary to orient the major axis 73 of cylinder 44 on one side of the line 72 and reverse the direction of rotation of eccentric drive means 4 2. For example, when the eccentric drive means 42 is rotating counterclockwise and the major axis 73 is below the line 72 as is shown in FIGURES 2 to 5, bidirectional pump 26 exerts pressure. However, when the direction of rotation of the eccentric drive means 42 is reversed and the orientation of major axis 73 remains unchanged, piston 62 is perpendicular to the major axis 73 during the outstroke and a suction is created.

In essence, it should be noted that because of the eccentric action which imparts reciprocating motion to the piston 62, the piston 52 is substantially perpendicular to the major axis 73 during one portion of the cycle of rotation of the eccentric drive means 42 and is oblique during another portion of the cycle. Therefore, depending on whether the piston is perpendicular during the instroke or outstroke determines whether the bidirectional pump 26 is creating pressure or suction.

It should be noted that the cylinder 44 is preferably a circular cylinder. However, cylinders of non-circular cross-section may be used provided there is symmetry about the diameter chosen for rotating the cylinders.

There has thus been shown improved apparatus for moving fluids between two different vessels through the agency of an improved bidirectional pump wherein the fluid never comes in contact with the pump. The bidirectional pump, a feature of the invention, by virtue of its diiferent orientations of its piston with respect to the major axis of its cylinder, is readily convertible between a pressure pump and a suction pump.

It will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, many modifications and variations which accomplish all or part of the foregoing objects, but which do not depart essentially from the invention as defined in the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A pump comprising a cylinder having a closed and an open end, a port disposed in said cylinder remote from said open end, a piston, means for reciprocatingly moving said piston in said cylinder, the reciprocating movement of said piston being a periodic occurring combination of a forward stroke and a retracted stroke, means for causing the transverse axis of said piston to be substantially perpendicular to the major axis of said cylinder during the forward stroke of reciprocating motion and oblique to said major axis during the retracted stroke of reciprocating motion, and means for controllably causing the transverse axis of said piston to be substantially perpendicular to said major axis during said retracted stroke of reciprocating motion and oblique to said major axis during said forward stroke of reciprocating motion.

2. Pumping apparatus as in claim 1, comprising, additionally,

means including a first and a second unidirectional check valve means both coupled to said port in said cylinder and disposed to be respectively operative under mutually opposite pressure conditions from said port, and means coupling both said check valve means to a common outlet conduit, whereby operation of the piston in one direction will establish pressure in the common outlet conduit through the correspondingly directed check valve, and operation of the piston in a second direction will establish vacuum condition in the common outlet conduit through the other check valve.

3. A pump comprising a cylinder having an open and a closed end, a port disposed in said cylinder remote from said open end, a piston sl-idably moveable in said cylinder, means disposed near said closed end for permitting said cylinder to be rotated in an are about a first axis of rotation which is perpendicular to the major axis of said cylinder, an eccentric drive means disposed near the open end of said cylinder for reciprocatingly moving said piston in said cylinder, said eccentric drive means tracing out a circle in a plane parallel to the axis of said cylinder, means for controllably positioning said cylinder at either extreme of said arc so that when said cylinder is at one of said extremes, the major axis of said cylinder lies on one side of a line joining the said first axis and the axis of rotation of said eccentric drive means and when said cylinder is at the other of said extremes, the major axis of said cylinder lies on the other side of said line, and means for coupling said eccentric drive means to said piston whereby when said cylinder is positioned at one extreme of said arc, the transverse axis of said piston is substantially perpendicular to said major axis of said cylinder during a first portion of a cycle of rotation of said eccentric drive means and oblique during a second portion of said cycle, and when said cylinder is positioned at the other extreme of said are, the transverse axis of said piston is substantially perpendicular to said major axis of said cylinder during said second portion of a. cycle of rotation of said eccentric drive means and oblique during said first portion of said cycle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first axis is a diameter of said cylinder.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 including means for looking said cylinder at either one of said extremes.

6. Pumping apparatus as in claim 3, comprising, additionally,

means including a first and a second unidirectional check valve means both coupled to said port in said cylinder and disposed to be respectively operative under mutually opposite pressure conditions from said port, and means coupling both said check valve means to a common outlet conduit, whereby operaation of the piston in one direction will establish pressure in the common outlet conduit through the correspondingly directed check valve, and operation of the piston in a second direction will establish vacuum condition in the common outlet conduit through the other check valve.

7. A pump comprising a cylinder having an open and a closed end, a port disposed in said cylinder remote from said open end, a piston slidably moveable in said cylinder, an eccentric drive means disposed near said open end for reciprocatingly moving said piston in said cylinder, the reciprocating movement of said piston being a periodic occurring combination of a forward stroke and a retracted stroke, said eccentric drive means tracing out a circle only in one direction in a plane parallel to the axis of said cylinder and having a center of rotation laterally displaced from the major axis of said cylinder, means I -m w:

coupling said piston to said eccentric drive means for causing the transverse axis of said piston to be substantially perpendicular to said major axis during the forward stroke of reciprocating motion and oblique to said major axis during the retracted stroke of reciprocating motion, and means for controllably angularly tilting the major axis of said cylinder for causing the transverse axis of said piston to be substantially perpendicular to said major axis during the retracted stroke of reciprocating motion and oblique to said major axis during the forward stroke of reciprocating motion.

8. Pumping apparatus, as in claim 7, comprising add-itionally,

means including a first and a second unidirectional check valve means both coupled to said port in said cylinder and disposed to be respectively operative under mutually opposite pressure conditions from said port, and means coupling both said check valve means to a common outlet conduit, whereby operation of the piston in one direction will establish pressure in the common outlet conduit through the correspondingly directed check valve, and operation of the piston in a second direction will establish vacuum condition in the common outlet conduit through the other check valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,318 Dinesen Apr. 22, 1930 2,011,831 Sinanide Aug. 2-0, 1935 2,023,466 Crowley Dec. 10, 1935 2,284,645 Duffy June 2, 1942 2,710,137 Arnouil June 7, 1955 2,762,390 Rodenacker Sept. 11, 1956 2,884,001 Herrero Apr. 28, 1959 

1. A PUMP COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING A CLOSED AND AN OPEN END, A PORT DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDER REMOTE FROM SAID OPEN END, A PISTON, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATINGLY MOVING SAID PISTON IN SAID CYLINDER, THE RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON BEING A PERIODIC OCCURRING COMBINATION OF A FORWARD STROKE AND A RETRACTED STROKE, MEANS FOR CAUSING THE TRANSVERSE AXIS OF SAID PISTON TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE MAJOR AXIS OF SAID CYLINDER DURING THE FORWARD STROKE OF RECIPROCATING MOTION AND OBLIQUE TO SAID MAJOR AXIS DURING THE RETRACTED STROKE OF RECIPROCATING MOTION, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY CAUSING THE TRANSVERSE AXIS OF SAID PISTON TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID MAJOR AXIS DURING SAID RETRACTED STROKE OF RECIPROCATING MOTION AND OBLIQUE TO SAID MAJOR AXIS DURING SAID FORWARD STROKE OF RECIPROCATING MOTION. 